PSE4801Assignment 3 2025
Unique Number:
Due date: 2025
DISCLAIMER & TERMS OF USE
Educational Aid: These study notes are intended to be used as educational resources and should not be seen as a
replacement for individual research, critical analysis, or professional consultation. Students are encouraged to perform
their own research and seek advice from their instructors or academic advisors for specific assignment guidelines.
Personal Responsibility: While every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy and reliability of the information in
these study notes, the seller does not guarantee the completeness or correctness of all content. The buyer is
responsible for verifying the accuracy of the information and exercising their own judgment when applying it to their
assignments.
Academic Integrity: It is essential for students to maintain academic integrity and follow their institution's policies
regarding plagiarism, citation, and referencing. These study notes should be used as learning tools and sources of
inspiration. Any direct reproduction of the content without proper citation and acknowledgment may be considered
academic misconduct.
Limited Liability: The seller shall not be liable for any direct or indirect damages, losses, or consequences arising from
the use of these notes. This includes, but is not limited to, poor academic performance, penalties, or any other negative
consequences resulting from the application or misuse of the information provided.
, For additional support +27 81 278 3372
PHENOMENOLOGY, EXISTENTIALISM, AND CURRICULUM THEORY: A
PHILOSOPHICAL INQUIRY INTO EDUCATION
1. INTRODUCTION
The philosophy of education seeks to illuminate the underlying assumptions and
conceptual foundations that inform teaching and learning practices. In recent years,
the resurgence of interest in phenomenology and existentialism has offered
alternative frameworks to traditional positivist and behaviourist models of education.
These philosophies emphasize subjectivity, lived experience, and the active agency
of learners and educators. Phenomenology refers to the philosophical method of
examining the structures of experience as they are subjectively lived, without
reducing them to empirical or scientific generalizations. It prioritizes intentionality,
meaning-making, and the embodied nature of human perception and knowledge.
Existentialism, on the other hand, is a philosophical orientation that emphasizes
individual freedom, responsibility, and the quest for authentic existence. In the
context of education, existentialism encourages learners to engage with the world in
ways that reflect their personal values and lived realities (Magrini, 2012:2).
Both phenomenology and existentialism challenge the dominance of mechanistic,
output-driven views of education. They propose that learning should be approached
as a deeply personal, ontological process. Instead of focusing on the transmission of
fixed knowledge, these philosophies advocate for education as a dynamic
engagement with one's lifeworld. This essay critically discusses curriculum
interpretation as a phenomenological enquiry and examines the implications of
philosophy of education for curriculum theory and practice, including new
constructions of subjectivity and pragmatic considerations for teaching and learning.
2. PHENOMENOLOGY, EXISTENTIALISM, AND CURRICULUM THEORY
2.1 Curriculum Interpretation as a Phenomenological Enquiry
Phenomenological enquiry in education focuses on the lived experiences of learners
and educators within their specific contexts, rather than on abstract, technical
conceptions of learning. In this regard, curriculum interpretation becomes an act of
understanding rather than measurement. Magrini (2013:1) argues that learning
Unique Number:
Due date: 2025
DISCLAIMER & TERMS OF USE
Educational Aid: These study notes are intended to be used as educational resources and should not be seen as a
replacement for individual research, critical analysis, or professional consultation. Students are encouraged to perform
their own research and seek advice from their instructors or academic advisors for specific assignment guidelines.
Personal Responsibility: While every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy and reliability of the information in
these study notes, the seller does not guarantee the completeness or correctness of all content. The buyer is
responsible for verifying the accuracy of the information and exercising their own judgment when applying it to their
assignments.
Academic Integrity: It is essential for students to maintain academic integrity and follow their institution's policies
regarding plagiarism, citation, and referencing. These study notes should be used as learning tools and sources of
inspiration. Any direct reproduction of the content without proper citation and acknowledgment may be considered
academic misconduct.
Limited Liability: The seller shall not be liable for any direct or indirect damages, losses, or consequences arising from
the use of these notes. This includes, but is not limited to, poor academic performance, penalties, or any other negative
consequences resulting from the application or misuse of the information provided.
, For additional support +27 81 278 3372
PHENOMENOLOGY, EXISTENTIALISM, AND CURRICULUM THEORY: A
PHILOSOPHICAL INQUIRY INTO EDUCATION
1. INTRODUCTION
The philosophy of education seeks to illuminate the underlying assumptions and
conceptual foundations that inform teaching and learning practices. In recent years,
the resurgence of interest in phenomenology and existentialism has offered
alternative frameworks to traditional positivist and behaviourist models of education.
These philosophies emphasize subjectivity, lived experience, and the active agency
of learners and educators. Phenomenology refers to the philosophical method of
examining the structures of experience as they are subjectively lived, without
reducing them to empirical or scientific generalizations. It prioritizes intentionality,
meaning-making, and the embodied nature of human perception and knowledge.
Existentialism, on the other hand, is a philosophical orientation that emphasizes
individual freedom, responsibility, and the quest for authentic existence. In the
context of education, existentialism encourages learners to engage with the world in
ways that reflect their personal values and lived realities (Magrini, 2012:2).
Both phenomenology and existentialism challenge the dominance of mechanistic,
output-driven views of education. They propose that learning should be approached
as a deeply personal, ontological process. Instead of focusing on the transmission of
fixed knowledge, these philosophies advocate for education as a dynamic
engagement with one's lifeworld. This essay critically discusses curriculum
interpretation as a phenomenological enquiry and examines the implications of
philosophy of education for curriculum theory and practice, including new
constructions of subjectivity and pragmatic considerations for teaching and learning.
2. PHENOMENOLOGY, EXISTENTIALISM, AND CURRICULUM THEORY
2.1 Curriculum Interpretation as a Phenomenological Enquiry
Phenomenological enquiry in education focuses on the lived experiences of learners
and educators within their specific contexts, rather than on abstract, technical
conceptions of learning. In this regard, curriculum interpretation becomes an act of
understanding rather than measurement. Magrini (2013:1) argues that learning
